I Think of Myself as an Intelligent Woman

How long does it take for a client or prospect to make a decision to buy? How can you use E-Newsletters to build a friendship to be there for them whenever they are ready to reach out to you?

I think of myself as an intelligent woman. However, there are those times when I just don’t get on board right away. Maybe it’s because I like to investigate things first. Maybe it’s just not right for me now. Who knows? As my husband likes to remind me- he knew from the day he met me in 1985 that I was the one for him. I just didn’t get it. It wasn’t the right time for me. Believe it or not, it just didn’t occur to me to be attracted to him. I was interested in him as a friend. In fact, I was interested in him as a best friend. But nonetheless, I dated several other guys for the next six years before “we” were even a consideration.

In a way, E-Newsletters can be like friendship: caring, considerate, consistent. They are more about trusted relationships then they are about pushing ideas and making sales. They are more about being there for people than getting people to buy.  They are gentle touches within each person’s comfort zone. A person can read an E-Newsletter in the privacy of their own office. Or a reader can respond directly via email. A recipient could even be so bold as to contact the sender directly on the phone. In any case, E-Newsletters respect personal and professional boundaries. In a well done E-Newsletter there’s a sincere respect for the individual. E-Newsletters are a way to meet people where they are. E-Newsletters can be a way to talk to friends.  And you know that you would never sell yourself to a friend. You might offer them something good or tell them about some cool things – but you wouldn’t sell directly to them.

If however, one of your friends sees a spark or even a light, and then one day they might send you a letter telling you how they truly feel. That’s what I did to let Tom know I was finally ready.

I do think of myself as an intelligent woman. But sometimes things rush at me like water spewing out of a fire hydrant. It is not my fault that people are throwing things at me. It takes me time to get all the information that I need to make a decision – and the timing has to be right. Interestingly, when I do come to a conclusion, I tend to make a life-long commitment (lucky for Tom).

A quote that I have on the wall of my office is: I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes... they all gang up on me at once!  I encourage you not to be the one who gangs up on your customers- your clients have enough stress in their lives. Be the friend, the trusted source.